Wagon-brake.



110.737,098. f v PATBNTED AUGfzs, 190s.

' l o. H; GUNN. i

WAGON BRAKE.

vAPIVLIGATION FILED MAY 23, 1902. No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET '1.

No. 737,098. PATENTED AUG# 25, 1903.

C.I H.' GUN N. WAGON' BRAKE.

APPLIoATmN PILED'MAY 2s, 1902. No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m5 PETERQCO, PHOYOIUTHD.. WASHINGTON, n4 C.

y Patented Augustae, ieee.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. GUNN, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

WAGON-BRAKE.,

l srncrnrcATmN raming part of Letters Patent No. 737,098, dated August 25, 190.3.

' ,replication fusa May 2s, 1902. serial No. 108.723. (No mais' zen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake j- City, in the county of Salt Lake and Stateof Utah, have inventcdpcertain'new and useful v wagon-bodymounted on the axle 2, which Improvements in Wagon-Brakes; and'I do declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the'V invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make andguse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference-marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates vto improvements in wagon-brakes of that class in which the brakeshoes are adapted for engagement with the ground; and its objects are to provide meansl by which the weight of the vwagonwillbere leased from the wheels when the'brake is applied and to provide a construction-by which the braking action is greatlyfacilitated by the least exertion of thedriver. With these and many other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature 'of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel'construction, combination, and arrangement ofzparts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The fundamental' features of the invention involved in the novel construction. and arrangement ofl partsv l especially adapting the. brake for heavy vehicles are necessarily susceptible to a wide'rangeof modification without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; but a preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is atop plan view of the brake applied to the rear axle of the vehicle with the Wagon-body removed. Fig. 2 is -a vertical sectionvthrough the rear of the running-'gear' with .the brake applied. and showing the wagon-body and'operating-levers in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail'perspective of the .hangers for the connection-rod and the clevis connection for the spreader. Fig.4is a side elevation showing a modiiied operating means andthe position of the parts when the brake `nection with theaxle'. 'are a pair of arms 9 9, in which the rock-shaft `10 is journaled, the said rock-shaft having a Icrankarm 11, pivotally connected withl a `pu'shbar l2, which extends forwardly and cross-bar 19.

1 is released. Fig.- 5 is a side elevationof'the operating-lever shownin Fig. 4.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.'

Referringto the drawings, 1 designates the carriesthe wheels 3between which are arranged f the mechanism embodying my improved brake. .Clampedto the axle are a pair of plates 4, having ears 5, between which are pivotally hung brake-levers 6 land the brace-rod 7 7, the former carrying pivotallymounted shoes 8 at Atheir ends and the latter being bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the brake-levers to`form a substantial con- Clamped to the axle engages the spreader-rodsl 13 for operating the brake-shoes. The spreader-rod is supported at yits front end' by the links 14, connected at 'one end to the reach-barl and atl Thisl their other ends to the said push-bar. connection is made by means of a bolt 16, passing through the end of the'push-bar, and on which is hung a clevis 17, its lower depending end providing a connection for the spreader-'rod 13. Thus the links 14and clevis 17 form a toggle connectionfor the. ypush-bar. connect with an eye "18 on the end of the I preferl to employ a cross-bar The ends of'the spreader-rods provided with coil-springs 21 on each end and which are confined between the shoulders 22 on the cross-bar and the eye-18, so as to rprovide a yielding action. for the spreaderrods when the shoes contact with an obstrucltion in the road or the wagon-wheels drop into a gulley and cause the shoes to be accidentally thrown to the ground. The eyes 18 are normally held near the ends of the crossbar 19 by means of the springs 21 and are prevented from beingpushed o the bar by and ou the other side by the spreader-rods 13, so that when an unusual strain, such as might be caused by an obstructiomis brought on either of the brake-shoes such shoe will be permitted to yield to the strain by virtue ofthe spring and the jointed connection for the rods 13 and 23 which is made by the eyes 18.

Secured to the bolt 16 are a pair of liftingrods 25, which play back and forth in eyes 2G, secured to the inner side ot' the brakelevers 6. These rods are provided with pins 27, which contact with the eyes 26 when the brake-shoes are lifted from the ground. The brace-rods 7 are connected by a chain 28 to prevent the shoes from spreading and contacting with the wheel of the wagon.

On the end of the rock-shaft 10 is secured a lever 29, having a series of apertures 29, to provide an adjustable connection with the rod 30, which is bfurcated at its forward end and through which bifurcation a lever 31 is adapted to oscillate, the said lever being pivoted to the wagon-box, as at 31a. A lever 32 is connected to the end of the rod 3() and to the lever 31 by a link connection 33. The levers are held in their desired positions by the usual rack-bar 34, which is in the present instance formed of a single piece. By this construction the brake must rst be applied by the lever 31, and when the lever 32 is pushed forward a further pressure is imparted to the brake and the wagon lifted from its wheels. The rod 30 throws the lever 29 forward, rocks the shaft 10, which swings the toggle connection of the clevis and links 14 forward, increasing the distance between the brake-shoes and the toggle connection, causes the cross-bar 19 to be pulled forward, aud by the connecting-rods 23 forces the brake-shoes in contact with the ground. When the above operation is reversed, the pins 27 on the rod 25 will engage the eyes 26 on the levers 6 to lift the shoes from the ground. When either shoe contacts with an obstruction, the coilspring on the cross-bar 19 will be compressed to increase the distance between the ends of the spreader-bars and the rocking shaft 10 without aecting the other parts or causing the operating-levers 29, 31, and 32 to be displaced from their normal positions, so that the brake-shoe will immediately assume its former position when it has passed over the obstruction.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of operating mechanism in which an operating-lever 35 is pivoted to a yoke 3G, carrying adruin 37, around which an operatingrope 3S passes and connects at each end with the lever 29. On each side of the drum are ratchets 39, adapted to be engaged by pawls 40 and 40a, pivoted on each side of the lever 35. The pawl 40 is normally held in engagement with its ratchet by aspring 41 and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by means of a rod 42,which extends into engagement witha lever 43, pivoted to the operating-lever 35. When the brake is not applied, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 4, and when the lever 35 is thrown forward the pawl 40 will engage its ratchet and wind the upper portion of the rope on the drum. This will pull the lever 29 forward to the position shown in Fig. 2 and apply the brake. When the lever is forward and the brakes applied, a lever42,havingan arm 43,is pushed forward by the drivers foot to hold the pawl 40 in engagement with its ratchet and prevent the lever 35 from falling back.

This brake is more particularly adapted for heavy wagons used in mountainous countries, and especially in mining districts. When the wagon is loaded with ore, the enormous load cannot be held back with the old form of brake; but my improved brake enables the rear wheels of the wagon to be lifted from the ground with slight exertion on the part of the driver and the axle-skein and tires of the wheels are not worn by the constant scra ping. The yielding connection between the push-bar 12 and the brake-shoes permits the shoes to adjust themselves to the unevenness of the ground, so that an obstruction to one will not aect the other.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A vehicle-brake consisting of brake-levers supported from the axle and having brake-shoes mounted thereon, a push-bar, spreader-rods depending from the pushbar,a cross bar supported by the spreader rods, rods connecting the push-bar and the shoes, and means on the cross-bar to permit each shoe to yield independently of the-other.

2. A vehicle-brake consisting of brake-levers supported from the axle and carrying pivoted shoes, a push-bar, a cross-bar having coil-springs and eyes mounted thereon, spreader-bars depending from the end of the push-bar and connected to the eyes on the cross-bar, rods connecting the eyes and the shoes, whereby the shoes are permitted to adjust themselves to the unevenness of the ground.

3. In a vehicle-brake, the combination with brake-levers carrying brake-shoes, of a rockshaft having a lever mounted thereon, levers mounted on the wagon-body for operating the brake, a rod connecting the operating-levers and the rock-shaft lever, a push-bar, a 'link connection to support the end of the said push-bar, a cross-bar, spreader-rods connecting the cross-bar with the push-bar, and shoelifting rods engaging the brake-levers aud the push-bar.

4. In a vehicle-brake, the combination of brake-levers pivotally supported from the axle and having shoes pivoted thereto, a pushbar, a cross-bar, a jointed connection for the IOO push-bar and cross-bar, elink connection loebetween the operating-levers and the rockf ro tween the wagon andthe end of the push-bar, shaft.

rods 23 for bringing the shoes into operative In testimony whereof I afx my signature position, shoe-lifting rods connected to the in presence of two witnesses.

5 push-bar and having a, loose connection with the brake-levers, means to permit each brake- CHARLES H GUN lever to act independently of the other,a rock- Witnesses: shaft having a lever, operating-levers Inount- ANNA LIGGAN,

ed on the front ofthe wagon anda connection WALTER C. ORUN. 

